- Title: NIGERIA: Residents on the streets of Lagos deplore the Christmas Day bomb attacks
- Date: 27th December 2011
- Summary: NEWSPAPER HEADLINE READING IN ENGLISH "NIGERIA'S BLACKEST CHRISTMAS...EVER!"
- Embargoed: 11th January 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria, Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Crime,War / Fighting
- Reuters ID: LVA4JUXXRWIX3741UM6U6FOCLKOX
- Story Text: People on the streets of Nigeria on Monday (December 26) reacted angrily to the Christmas day church blasts that killed over 27 people on the outskirts of capital Abuja. Some blamed politicians for the lapse of security in Africa's most populated nation and leading oil producer.
Militants of the Boko Haram sect said they had set off the bombs, raising fears that they are trying to ignite sectarian civil war. Three of the five bombs hit churches and one killed at least 27 people at a Catholic church.
In the sprawling commercial city of Lagos, groups of people gathered at newspaper stands on Monday morning to get the latest news of the attacks.
Businessman Oge Victor said the attacks on innocent people were deplorable and he blamed the government for the insecurity.
"The first thing is that the federal government, they have lost their focus. In everything in Nigeria. I don't care about names, Boko Haram, Niger Delta militants, the Odwa People's (Congress) OPC - something motivates them to form these bodies, because the federal government have failed us. Those people are fighting for their rights, there is no dialogue, let the federal government improve their policies."
Trader Abu Mohammed is a Muslim from the north of the country. He called on politicians address Nigeria's social problems.
"No any Islamic scholar will teach you such things - go and kill somebody - even when he is worshipping what he believes in. We have people who practise traditional religion and we are living together. I want government to look into the hardships, people are in problems, many people don't have anything to do, so when they see any societies, they will just go and join it."
In the volatile central town of Jos, more military was deployed overnight to curb any further attacks.
Boko Haram aims to impose sharia, Islamic law, across Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. There is a growing fear that Boko Haram is trying to ignite a sectarian civil war in the country split evenly between Christians and Muslims who for the most part coexist in peace. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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